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7 newly-qualified foreign stars who could debut for Japan in 2026
The fifth Japan Rugby League One season kicks off next week with a wave of new and returning stars such as Semi Radradra, Manie Libbok and Ardie Savea set to light up the competition. Fiji’s Olympic sevens champion Radradra is a new signing for title contenders Shizuoka Blue Revs while World Cup winner and Springboks star Libbok has joined second division side Kintetsu Liners. New Zealand’s 2023 World Player of The Year Savea has returned for a second spell at star-laden Kobe

Mark Pickering
Dec 1, 20255 min read


Mo’unga set for Toshiba return — and reunion with his ex-Canterbury coach
Toshiba Brave Lupus superstar Richie Mo’unga returns to action on Saturday for the first time since steering his side to back-to-back League One titles in June. Mo’unga, 31, opened the scoring after five minutes with a sublime solo effort and added eight points from his boot to inspire the Fuchu team to an 18-13 win over Kubota Spears, despite playing with a broken hand. The 2023 World Cup runner-up, who won the Japan Rugby League One MVP award for the second season in a ro

Mark Pickering
Nov 13, 20253 min read


Rookie hooker, 22, to make first Japan Test start against the Boks
Saitama Wild Knights youngster Kenji Sato will make his first Test start for Japan against back-to-back world champions South Africa at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday. Sato, 22, won just his fifth cap for the Brave Blossoms in the narrow defeat to the Wallabies in Tokyo after coming off the bench in all four of his country’s Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) games. Japan’s first-choice hooker Mamoru Harada, who was initially announced as a co-captain for the PNC campaign along

Mark Pickering
Oct 29, 20252 min read


EXCLUSIVE – Mo'unga rebuffed Tonga approach to re-sign with NZ Rugby
Toshiba Brave Lupus fly-half Richie Mo’unga was approached by Tonga Rugby Union about a potential allegiance switch before he inked a new deal with New Zealand Rugby, RugbyJP.com can reveal. Back-to-back League One and MVP winner Mo’unga, 31, who last represented the All Blacks in the World Cup final loss to South Africa in 2023, was the subject of intense interest from Tonga, as RugbyJP.com revealed in February. RugbyJP.com © The mercurial seven-time Super Rugby winner tu

Mark Pickering
Oct 15, 20252 min read
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